ERIC Number: EJ1087036
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jan
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Developing Critical Thinking Skills Using the Science Writing Heuristic in the Chemistry Laboratory
Stephenson, N. S.; Sadler-McKnight, N. P.
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v17 n1 p72-79 Jan 2016
The Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) laboratory approach is a teaching and learning tool which combines writing, inquiry, collaboration and reflection, and provides scaffolding for the development of critical thinking skills. In this study, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) was used to measure the critical thinking skills of first year general chemistry students who were instructed using the SWH approach and first year general chemistry students who received traditional (TRAD) laboratory instruction. A quasi experimental pretest-posttest design involving the use of matched groups was used to assess differences in critical thinking between the two groups. Students in the SWH group had significantly higher total critical thinking scores over their traditional counterparts. The results indicate that the SWH approach shows efficacy in improving students' critical thinking skills over the traditional approach.
Descriptors: Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, Skill Development, Chemistry, Heuristics, Content Area Writing, Quasiexperimental Design, Pretests Posttests, Matched Groups, Teaching Methods, Intermode Differences, Instructional Effectiveness, Laboratory Training, College Freshmen, Introductory Courses, Foreign Countries
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: California Critical Thinking Skills Test (College)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A